Small bowel ultrasound in patients with celiac disease. Retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Celiac disease (CD) is a common, lifelong disease with small bowel malabsorption based on genetically conditioned gluten intolerance. The clinical manifestation could be very heterogeneous. The proof of celiac disease is now based mainly on clinical and laboratory (antibodies and enterobiopsy) signs, which are in some cases problematic and inconvenient.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our study we have examined 250 patients with suspection or with proven celiac disease and we evaluated specific ultrasound small bowel changes in this group. In the next step, we chose 59 patients with laboratory proved celiac disease and we statistically compared ultrasound, other laboratory and clinical findings in different forms and stages of the disease.

RESULTS: Specific small bowel pathologies in patients with celiac disease (like changes of intestinal villi in different parts of small bowel, abnormal peristalsis and mesenterial lymphadenopathy) can be well visualized by ultrasound and in combination with clinical and laboratory signs ultrasound examination could have an important role in screening, determination of diagnosis and monitoring of patients with different forms of celiac disease.